February 2003

“Jackie told us that Travis Air Force Base phoned soon after 9/11, asking for records related to the possible use of a Berkeley Public computer to attempt to hack into their system. The call was refered to her, the director. When she told them a subpoena was needed they pointed out that their need for this information was critical. She said that she wanted to help them as much as she could and that a subpoena was required. She also told them how little information they have about their users. They did not come back with the subpoena.

At Berkely Public, they ‘erase the servers’ every night and shred the paper signup sheets. Circulation records are deleted as soon as material is checked in. (No time lag as we have)” [Retrofitted Librarian by way of The Shifted Librarian]

This morning, I left the apartment a little before 7, as I usually do, on my way to work. My MetroCard had expired, so by the time I bought a new one and made my way downstairs to the platform at 7 Ave, I’d barely missed the train. So I waited for the next one.

As I sat waiting, I overheard a man saying, “Excuse me, sir, can you spare some change?” From the subtle Doppler shift in his voice as he spoke, I could tell he was walking in my general direction and I’d probably be next.

Sure enough: “Good morning, sir! Can you spare some change?” I ignored him and let him pass by.

“That’s all right, sir,” he continued. “I still love you. Him, too. There’s nothing wrong for to love another man.”

I processed this as he proceeded down the platform. I heard him approach someone else. “Excuse me, sir, can you spare some change.” The answer was inaudible, but then I heard. “That’s all right, sir. I still love you, and I don’t care who knows it! I’m not queer, but there’s nothing wrong with loving another man.”

I laughed, and as I did, I looked down the platform and saw a young man laughing, and passing the guy a dollar bill.

Another link cribbed from Matt Fraction, Britney Underground is a collection of defaced Britney ads that once littered the New York subways. Cool stuff.

Bear with me here. I never wanted to be one of those bloggers who seems preoccupied with minutiae from his own life. I’ve lived long enough to know that what’s bugging me right now won’t necessarily be bothering me tomorrow, so to sit and angst in public about the current agita just seems counter-productive to me.

On the other hand…

…this blog has been almost entirely impersonal lately.

I love information policy. I think that’s obvious. And I love New York. That’s pretty bloody obvious, too. Just skim down the page at the entries below this one.

But just last week, I was talking to my uncle and he said, “Have you ever considered being a professional writer?” Today, a friend I’ve been out of touch with for over a decade wrote out of the blue. Among his comments: “Had no idea you were such a good writer.”

That’s flattering.

I’ve looked back over this site, tonight, and I’ve remembered how much fun it is to write about my own experiences. Check out the writing section of my site. None of it will win awards, but all of it was a complete kick to write.

I need to do that again. Soon.

These are a little like the seatback graphics on airplanes, showing you what to do if the plane goes down….

But these are freakier.

I feel much better now. Don’t you?  

Google Buys Pyra: Blogging Goes Big-Time. Weblogs are going Googling. Google, which runs the Web’s premier search site, has purchased Pyra Labs, a San Francisco company… [Dan Gillmor's eJournal]

If you’re curious, however, about what the Web community is saying about this buyout, scroll to the bottom of Gillmor’s blog entry, where he links to commentary from all over the Web.

Google Deal Ties Company to Weblogs. Google has bought Pyra Labs, the creator of software for publishing Weblogs, which is a form of hyperlinked online journal. By Amy Harmon. [New York Times: Technology]

Probably the biggest net-related story out there right now. I really have no meaningful observations to make about what this might mean.

Setbacks for US war timetable. Antiwar rallies and wariness at UN are hurdles for Bush. [Christian Science Monitor | Top Stories]

It’s been a busy weekend, which is why I’ve been missing from this page for the last few days.

In addition to enjoying visits from several out-of-town guests, I was among the 400,000 who rallied in New York against the Iraq war.

Or, rather, attempted to rally. I met up with friends at Third Avenue and 42nd Street and we tried to move north and then east. North was easy. East? Not so much. Police had every side street blocked up to the low 70s. We were caught in a crush of people at intersection after intersection, surging the barricades and either falling back or getting pushed back by the police.

Frustrating.

But I was there. I added my body and my voice to the cause.

Now let’s hope it means something.

Okay, here’s something cool. Pieces of short non-fiction, all set in NYC. Navigate by clicking neighborhoods on a map, or choose stories by theme. Swank…